Personal Finance

Refund, refund, refund, (refund, refund). No I’m not stuck on repeat, I’m trying to hammer home that people are owed hundreds of millions of pounds that they’re just not claiming – most of which can be done with just a quick click or phone call. Here’s what you need to do…

In around two weeks’ time, the Monetary Policy Committee will make a decision as to whether or not it will increase the base rate. This has been trailed for months now, with people widely expecting the rate to rise as the economy shows a bit of mettle and inflation remains stubbornly above the Bank of England’s 2 per cent target.

Spring has sprung. The weather’s warming up, and the last thing on anyone’s mind are energy bills. That means the energy firms have got you just where they want you – it’s the perfect opportunity for them to pump up prices, and they’re doing just that.

Almost one million Scottish Power customers will see their gas and electricity bill rise by 5.5 per cent.

Nearly 400 people have their money managed by Edinburgh city council after being deemed unfit to look after their own affairs.

When you’re younger, it’s hard to imagine what will happen when you become old. It seems like such a long time away. But when the realisation creeps up on you that time is not on your side, it can be pretty scary.

April’s pay packets will be looking a bit lighter for some, as new rules come into force which mean more cash is being funnelled into workplace pensions.

Police are issuing a warning about a sophisticated new phone scam in which the victim is targeted with a phone call from a loved one’s phone number.

Children of the 80s rejoice – there’s a new Terminator film on the horizon! Even more fabulously everyone’s favourite ass-kicking icon Linda Hamilton is back too. And in news that will please all sci-fi fans, James Cameron is on board and he’s ignoring all the rubbish sequels and picking up after the second one finished (awesome news).

Congratulations and commiserations. If you’re an employee aged 22 or more, earning over £10,000 a year, you’ve likely just had a hidden pay rise and a hidden pay cut at the same time.

There’s always a good reason to buy chocolate. Confectioners have hijacked our celebratory moments throughout the year and seamlessly market their wares linked to the annual cycle of special days and ­holidays.

More than 500,000 people living in Scotland have started a side business, generating a collective £1.7 billion a year out of more than £33bn UK-wide, according to new research.

If you hadn’t noticed, we’re in the thick of Isa season. My inbox is awash with press releases on the latest stocks and shares Isa investment opportunities, the markets that are looking hot in 2018 and the rest of the fervour from investment companies trying to get a hand on your savings.

This is a clarion call to everyone who’s been to university in the last 20 years or so. Hundreds of thousands of you have overpaid your student loans and with one quick phone call could be entitled to hundreds or thousands of pounds back.

Make the most of your money by learning the truth behind these five common ISA misconceptions

Since I started writing this column, I’ve been blown away by some of the things you’ve contacted me to tell me about. So today I wanted to say a huge thank you to you all.

How much do you really need to live comfortably in retirement? It’s something we tend to spend a lot of time helping people figure out here at Which? – be it through the research we publish in our magazines and on our website; in the campaigning we do on behalf of all consumers; and through our Money Helpline, where we speak to thousands of people about their financial issues every month.

All parents want to see their children grow up and flourish. The thought of not being there, and the impact that would have on them, is almost too unpleasant to bear.

In his final Budget as Chancellor in 2016 – before he reinvented his career as a crusading newspaper editor – George Osborne announced, with his usual theatrical pomp, that the Government was creating a new savings account – the Lifetime Isa – to empower the under-40s who, he said, “haven’t had… a good deal from the pension system.”